Rejuvenating Early American Homes

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Month: July 2015

When you were a child, did you ever dash into the house and forget to close the door behind you? If so, were you greeted by a parent or sibling who inquired with a smirk, “Do you think we live in a barn? Close the door.”

It’s so funny how things change. Today the notion of rooms distinguished by barn doors is all the rage. Barn doors are making bold statements in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and closets.

If you are considering replacing a traditional swinging door with a sliding barn door, the design possibilities are endless. You can install antique salvaged doors, wooden paneled doors, or glass French doors. The hardware can be hidden in the ceiling or you can select exposed hardware fashioned from rustic black iron or sleek stainless steel. From traditional to contemporary to cottage-style homes, barn doors imbue style.

When we were designing the addition to the 1811 Federal that would house the kitchen and dining room, we envisioned using a pair of antique doors we discovered in the attic for sliding pantry doors.

To make the doors stand out from the white cabinetry, we planned to paint the doors the same shade as the kitchen island…..Benjamin Moore’s Black Pepper….which is really a lovely shade of blue.

Even though the concept looked great in a sketch, our contractor reminded us that the pantries did not have enough space on either side of the openings to slide the doors to the right or left and the doors would block the sink We had no choice but to install traditional doors that swing open into the room.

However, we did not abandon the idea of installing sliding doors somewhere else in the home. A small hallway that leads to a first floor bathroom, laundry room, and utility closet proved to be our next best option.

The sliding doors are great space savers and improve circulation. You can be pulling clothes from the dryer, while at the same time, someone could access the bathroom or pull the vacuum cleaner from the closet.

The search for barn door hardware was a bit exhaustive. We recently attended the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Atlanta and met many high end hardware manufacturers. Not surprisingly, barn door hardware was showcased in every booth. When the sales representatives demonstrated how the hardware functions, you could not help but imagine that NASA may have been involved with the engineering. Each time I inquired about the price point, the response was, “In the $2,000 range.” Unfortunately, that number was a budget buster. An internet search revealed other price-friendly options at national home improvement stores but every item was sold out!

Next, we painted the doors Black Pepper so they brighten the hallway and function as visual stepping stones to the island in the adjoining kitchen.

If you want to add sliding barn doors to your home enlist the help of a contractor or carpenter. Make sure the space has enough room for the doors to slide, select a door that enhances the décor and provides suitable privacy, and choose appropriate hardware to suspend and slide the door.